This invention relates to electronic mail (“e-mail”) systems, and more particularly, to e-mail systems that notify a user that the user has received e-mail messages.
There are several different models of e-mail delivery used today. In one model, users are connected continuously via a continuous, high-bandwidth network link and receive e-mail messages immediately as the messages are available. In a second model, users are not notified of available e-mail messages, but must connect (typically via a telephone modem) to an e-mail server or other system to retrieve any e-mail messages that may be available. In a third model, users are not notified of available e-mail messages, but must connect to an e-mail server to retrieve e-mail message headers, and then indicate, based on those headers, which e-mail messages to retrieve. In a fourth model, the user's system automatically connects to an e-mail server on a regular basis (typically once per night over a telephone modem) to retrieve e-mail messages or headers.
The drawback of these systems is that continuous high-speed links may be prohibitively expensive for many users, but without a continuous high-speed link users do not know when e-mail messages are available and must establish a telephone modem link to check for e-mail messages. Checking for messages ties up the local telephone line and may burden the user with the cost of the telephone call. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an e-mail system that notifies users of received e-mail messages without requiring a continuous high-speed network link or a separate telephone call to establish a modem link.